2019 Ryan Stirm Sonoma Valley Syrah

Region: Sonoma Valley < California
Grapes: Syrah
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic farming; sandy loam soil made up of a mix of eolian sand dunes and alluvial deposits; rapes were picked by hand, sorted in the field. At the winery the grapes go whole cluster into a redwood fermenter. After pigeage (foot crushing), pumpovers were done once a day for 10 days before pressing to tank for settling. The still fermenting wine was racked into old barrels for 16 months aging on lees.  Bottled unfined, unfiltered with minimal added SO2; 13% ABV 145 cases  
Winemaker:  Ryan Stirm

Ryan Stirm is one of those winemakers whose talent and passion are evident the instant you taste his wines. Based near the town of Aromas (south of Santa Cruz) Ryan is best known for his mind-blowing Rieslings, but he also makes a handful of other cool wines, like the Pinot featured here. Ryan likes to work with old vines, and to work in the vineyards, where he spends the majority of the time.  San Francisco Chronicle named him a 2017 ‘Winemaker to Watch, Ryan is definitely a rising star in the small world of natural wine, and one of the nicest people we know.  Exactly the kind of vigneron we want to support.  

And his Syrah is totally our jam.  But to be clear, this is NOT your daddy's jammy Sonoma Syrah.  It's the late bloomer, the wallflower, the surprise hitter.  Soulful, thoughtful, restrained, with boatloads of sour cherry and woodsy herbs and a super compelling umami/alpine vibe, this is ow good California Syrah can be. Ryan's style nods to the Northern Rhône with racy fruit, firm acidity and flowers in the nose, but the palate is old school California to its core.